Stamp-affixing machine.



No; 879,151. PATENTED FEB. 18, 1908. R. P. DETHMERS.

v STAMP AFFIXING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1906.

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I PATENTED FEB. 18, 1908. R. P. DBTHMERS.

STAMP AFFIXING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 18,1906.

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ROY P. 'DETHMERS, OF MADELIA, MINNESOTA.

STAMP-AFFIXING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1908.

Application filed May 18' 1906. Serial No. 317.568.

' chines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such. as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains'to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved device for applying stamps to envelope, and to this end it consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

The improved device is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figurel is a plan view of the improved device. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail in section on the line 113 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken approximately on the line 90 at of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken approximately on the line 11: m of Fig. 1 Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line an ac of Fig. 2; and Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken on the line cc 9: of Fig. 1, some parts being removed.

The numeral 1 indicates the base of the machine, the lower portion of which, as shown, is made hollow and provided with a drawer 2. Mounted in a suitable form in the top of the base 1, is a rotary or oscillatory cylindrical block 3 that is formed with.

several pockets & that extend from top to bottom thereof, and are adapted to hold stamps, indicated by the character 2. Suitable meahs is provided for imparting oscillatory movements to the rotary block 3, necessary to bring the desired pocket 4 in position directly under a platen or anvil block 5, which latter is supported. and oper ated as hereinafter described. As shown, the means for thus oscillating the said block 3 is a flexible strap 6 wrapped about and secured to the said block, preferably by a screw 7 and having its end portions extended in reverse directions around a raised portion 1 of the base 1, and. secured to an operating knob 8. A transverse groove 1 in the upper portion of the base 1 affords clearance for the reversely extended portions of the flexible strap 6. In the bottom of each pocket 4 'is a loose plunger head 9 upon which the stack of stamps directly rests.

Mounted to move vertically through the raised bottom portion of the base 1 is a lift ing plunger 10 that is located below and in vertical line with the platen or anvil 5. Normally, the upper end of the plunger 10 stands flush with or slightly below the lower surface of the rotary block 3, so that it will not interfere with the rotary movements thereof. Said plunger 10 is supported by the long arm of a bell crank 11 which is pivoted to the base 1 at 12, and the upwardly extended arm. of which is subject to the depending arm of a crooked operating lever 13, which. lever is pivoted at 1. 1 to the upper end of a standard 15, rigidly secured at its lower end. to the base 1. The forwardly extended end of the lever 13 overlies the platen or anvil 5, and is provided with a hand-piece 16. The said platen or anvil 5 is rigidly secured to the free end of a lever 17 that is pivoted at 18 to the upper portion of the standard 15. The lever 17 is connected to the upper portion of the lever 13 by a link 19 that limits the separating movements of said two levers, but permits them to be moved nearer together than shown in Figs. 2 and 4. A coiled spring 20 applied between the free ends of the levers 13 and 17 tends to force the latter away from the former, and against the depending portion of the link 19.

A small water-containing tank 21 is set into a suitable recess in the raised portion 1 of the base 1 A crooked lever 22, pivoted at one end to the standard 15, is provided at its down-turned end with a moistening pad 23 that is normally submerged within the water y, contained in said water tank 21.

When the lever 13 and platen 5 are raised, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5 the lever 22 and the moistening pad 23 areadapted to be raised, as also shown in said view, by means of a pin 24 which, as shown, is carried by a short arm 26 which, in turn, is rigidly but adjustably secured to the platen 5 by means of ascrew 26. When the pad 23 is raised, as shown bydotted lines in Fig. 5, it is brought slightly above the plane of the upper face of the rotary block 3 and raised portion 1 of the base 1. The water tank 21, it will be noted, isprovided at its top with a plate portion 21 that lies flush with the upper surface of the raised base portion 1 and cooperates with the latter to afford a table for supporting the envelops in position to have the stamps applied thereto.

Working through the raised bottom of the base 1 is a small plunger or lifting pin 27 that rests upon the inner end of a lever 28 that is intermediately pivoted to a depending lug 29 secured to the base 1, as best shown in Fig. 7. The inner end of the lever 28 normally rests upon a lug 30 on the base 1, and the outer end of said lever projects through perforations in the outer and inner sides of the drawer 2.

The lifting pin 27 is so positioned that the stamp pockets 4 of the rotary block 3 may be moved in succession vertically over the same. When the drawer 2 is in working position, the lever 28 can not be moved, but when the said drawer is removed, the outer end of said lever may be pressed downward, thereby raising the pin 27 and causing the same to lift the head 9 of the stamp pocket that is vertically alined therewith. This lifting device is intended for use to raise the heads 9 when the stamps are being placed in the stamp receiving pockets of the block 3, which is an action that is very desirable because it would be very difficult to place the stamps flat-wise one on top of the other, within the said pockets, with the heads 9 at the bottom of the said pockets.

The several pockets 4 of the block 3 will, in practice, of course contain stamps of different denominations or value. By manipulation of the straps 6, the block 3 may be turned so as to bring the stamps of the desired value directly under the platen 5 and directly over the lifting plunger 10. This being done, the hand-piece 16 should be raised, thereby lifting up the platen 5 and moistening pad 23, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5. As the envelop is slid over the top ofthe raised baseportion 1 that portion thereof to which the stamp is to be applied is rubbed over the moistening pad 23 and is thus dampened sufficiently to make the stamp adhere thereto.

To press the envelop lightly upon the pad 23 while it is being given the sliding movement above noted, a gravity actuated presser plate 31 is pivoted, by a pin 32, to an envelop alining rib 33 which, in turn, is suitably secured or applied to the raised portion 1 of the base 1, and serves to properly position the envelop for the application of the stamp thereto. As shown, this alining rib 33 is approximately L-shaped and one arm thereof overlies a portion of the rotary block 3.

The movable parts having been raised, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5, and the envelops having been positioned as above described, the hand-piece 16 is forced downward and into a position very considerably below that indicated by full lines in Figs. 2, 4 and 5. Under this downward movement of the hand-piece 16, and resulting movement of the lever 13, the platen 5 is first pressed tightly against the envelop and presses the same against the upper ends of the rotary block 3. Under further downward movement of the said hand-piece 1,6, and further movement of the lever 13, the spring 20 will be compressed and the bell crank 11 will be'moved, thereby causing the plunger 10 to be raised and causing the latter to lift the overlying head 9, and thereby causing the latter to move upward and press the uppermost stamp against the envelop which is then pressed against the upper face of the block 3, by the platen 5.

It will thus be seen that the platen or anvil 5 affords a fixed stop or base of reaction against which the envelop is pressed when the stamp is applied thereto, and that the upward movement of the plunger 10 serves to press the stamps against the envelops. It is also evident that the spring 20 affords a yielding connection between the platen 5 and the lifting plunger 10.

In actual practice I have found that by means of the improved machine above describedfstamps may be very rapidly applied to envelops.

hat I claim is:

1. In a device of the kind. described, the combination with a block having a stamp receiving pocket that is open at its top and bottom, of a platen overlying said pocket, a plunger underlying said pocket, and lever connections involving a yielding element for pressing said platen downward. and raising said lifting plunger to apply the stamps to the envelops, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a block having a stamp receiving pocket that is open at its top and bot tom, of a pivoted lever provided with a platen that overlies said pocket, a plunger underlying said pocket, a lifting lever operative on said lifting plunger, and an operating lever operative on said lifting lever and having a yielding connection to said platen equipped lever, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a block having a stamp receiving pocket, of a platen overlying said pocket, a lifting plunger underlying said pocket, an operating lever having connections for moving said plunger upward and for moving said platen downward, to apply the stamps to the envelops, a water containin receptacle, a moistening pad normally su bmerged therein and means for moving said pad upward into an operative position,

when the said platen is raised, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a rotary block having a plurality of stamp receiving pockets, of a platen overlying said block, a lifting plunger underlying said block, and lever connections for forcing said platen downward and said plunger upward, to apply the stamps to the envelops, substantially as described.

5. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a base and a cylindrical block rotatively mounted therein and having a plurality of stamp receiving pockets that are open at their bottoms and tops, of a lever provided with a platen that overlies said rotary block, a lifting plunger underlying said block and said platen, a lifting lever for lifting said plunger, and an operating lever operative on said lifting lever, and having a yielding connection to said laten equipped lever, substantially as descri ed.

6. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a base, of a cylindrical block rotatively mounted therein and provided with a plurality of stamp receiving pockets that are open at their tops and bottoms, loose lifting heads Within said pockets, a lifting plunger underlying said rotary block, a lifting lever for lifting said plunger, a lever having a platen overlying said rotary block and said lifting plunger, and an operating lever operative on said lifting lever and having a yielding connection to said platen equipped lever, substantially as described.

7. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a base, of a cylindrical block rotatively mounted therein and provided. with a plurality of stamp receiving pockets that are open at their .tops and bottoms, a lifting plunger underlying said rotary block, a lifting lever supporting said plunger, a lever provided with a platen overlying said rot'ary block and said lifting plun ger, an operating lever operative on said lifting lever and having a yielding connection to said platen equipped lever, a lever provided with a moistening pad, and a projection carried by said platen and operating on said pad equipped lever to throw said pad into an operative position when said platen is raised, substantially as described. 7

8. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a base and a rotaryblock having'a plurality of stamp receiving pockets, loose heads in said pockets, means for raising said heads to apply the stamps to the envelops, and other means for raising said heads, comprising a vertically movable lifting pin and a lifting lever operative thereon, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

M. S. DossER, H. (J. GUNDERsoN. 

